This resort on the south of the small island of Tenerife has sunshine and heat, but little else. Tatty and torn up by road construction (which an ex-pat-local said could go on indefinitely), Costa del Silencio didn't offer a great deal but a chance to wind down and read and take advantage of cartons of Sangria on sale in the local mom-and-pop shop.

From our ground floor two-bed in the well-landscaped Balcon del Mar, the views over the Atlantic were spectacular, in contrast to the landscape between the airport and the resort, which was scrubby and barren.

Small thrills came in the form of African types of birds like green parakeets flying from palm to palm. Silencio has an older demographic, with principally British ex-pats serving elderly Brits as well as a strong contingent of Belgian visitors.

The drinks were cheap and the locals friendly, and the value excellent, so at least we weren't paying big prices for what was generally pretty miserable fare... more